Showdown
on IMDb |TV = on TV.com }} Summary A bank robber takes a job with the Cartwrights to prevent the sheriff from tracking down his accomplices. Plot After John Pardo and his gang rob the Virginia City Bank, they go into hiding on the Ponderosa. One of Pardo's men, Sam Kirby, goes to the Cartwrights. The plan is for him to hire on as a ranch hand so he can keep tabs on the posse and/or the Army, if they're called in. Adam, Hoss and Joe Cartwright are breaking horses. Sam rides up and merely watches. When one of the horses throws Joe, Sam's laughter gets their attention. He asks for a job and claims he has a reference from a previous Ponderosa hand that he worked with in Arizona. He earns the job by breaking the horse that threw Joe. Sheriff Coffee arrives and informs the Cartwrights about the robbery. He asks them to ride posse over the Ponderosa. They do, but to cover more area, they break into pairs. When Sam learns that Hoss will be going the direction of the gang's hide out, he volunteers to ride with him. Hoss stumbles across some suspicious markings and is investigating. Sam initially tries to make excuses, but when Hoss is down on his knee checking tracks, Sam pulls his gun. Fortunately, Joe arrives and stops him. Hoss asks why Joe has his gun on Sam and doesn't believe Joe when Joe says it looked like Sam was drawing down on Hoss. Hoss doesn't think Sam would do that and Sam claims he heard a rider coming (Joe) and pulled it for protection. When the Cartwrights are checking in with Roy, Sam learns where all the posses are and he's there when a telegraph is delivered saying the Army will arrive in a few days. Roy is suspicious of Sam, a newcomer who arrived in town the same time the bank was robbed. But the Cartwrights believe he's OK. But the telegrapher pulls Joe aside and says he thinks he saw Sam hanging around town the night the bank was robbed. Joe becomes even more suspicious. At a party, Sam becomes friendly with a girl Joe thinks he has some claim to. A fight breaks out and in the process, Sam's shirt gets torn. It reveals a scarred back from having been whipped. He's angry and humiliated and wants to leave the party. Adam gives him his vest to cover his back. Ben demands to know what Joe has against Sam and doesn't put much weight on the telegrapher's story. Joe feels bad now and says he's going to go apologize to Sam. Sam returns to Pardo's hide out and reports that the Army's coming. Pardo wants to know where they'll be coming from. Sam doesn't have that answer and Pardo insists he return to the Cartwrights. Sam doesn't want to. Pardo notices the vest and asks about it. He thinks it's funny that Sam has the Cartwrights so fooled. Then the guards bring Joe in, beaten. Joe knows now that Sam is part of the gang. Pardo beats Joe some more, but Sam tells him to stop. Pardo thinks Sam's going soft, but just ties Joe up. He sends Sam back to learn more about the Army. When Sam returns, Adam asks where Joe is. Sam claims he hasn't seen Joe and Adam is surprised. He says Joe left right after Sam to apologize. This just makes Sam feel worse. Adam says he considers Sam a friend and Sam says a man only has one friend, himself. Adam doesn't argue and tells Sam that the sheriff is there to see him. Roy says he sent a telegram to the ranch hand in Arizona. Yes, they know Sam, but fired him when they learned he had a record in Texas. Sam admits he was in jail for murder. Sam had killed his step-father several years after his mother died. The man routinely beat and whipped him and when he was big enough and strong enough, Sam fought back. Sam served did his time. Ben thinks that's sufficient, but Roy wants to run Sam in. Ben takes responsibility for Sam. That night, Adam checks on Sam in the bunk house. He's packing to leave. Adam wonders if the friendship was too much for Sam. Sam knocks him out and runs. When Adam wakes, Ben is looking for him. They realize Joe might've been right all along. They'll start tracking Sam and maybe find Joe at first light. Sam returns to Pardo's gang. Pardo's trying to beat information out of Joe, who remains sient. Pardo tells Sam to beat Joe and Sam won't. Pardo accuses him of going soft and orders one of his other men to kill Joe. Sam convinces Pardo not to. He says with Joe as a hostage they'll get away. But they have to leave now. Pardo agrees and when the men leave to pack up, Sam holds a gun on Pardo. A scuffle breaks out and Joe is able to get a gun and shoot Pardo. The next morning the Cartwrights are searching and see the Pardo gang being led toward them. Joe's riding up front and Sam brings up the rear. Seems they all misjudged Sam after all. Cast and Characters Recurring *Ray Teal: Sheriff Roy Coffee Others *'Ben Cooper: Sam Kirby' *Boyd 'Red' Morgan: Linc *Jack Lambert: John Pardo *Jody Warner: Ellie McClure *John Maxwell: Tom McClure *Norman Leavitt: Rudy *Unknown: Mrs. Shoemaker *Unknown: Runalds *Unknown: Ramus Mentioned *Ed Limb *Ollie Ludloe *Troy Fuller *Mrs. McClure *Wilson family Notes Did you know? *Ray Teal makes his first of 88 appearances as Sheriff Roy Coffee. Goofs *In the scene where Sheriff Coffee tells the Cartwrights about Sam Kirby's past, Ben angrily throws a piece of paper into the fire and misses. The paper is seen in front of the fireplace for a while and then disappears. *In the scene where Joe and Sam are fighting at the picnic, Ben can be seen laughing before quickly returning to his serious face. 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